Ryan Blasts Two Homers as Gators Sweep Scots

Apr 13, 2007

Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box

MEADVILLE, Pa. – Sophomore Rachel Ryan (West Salem, Ohio/Northwestern) made her way into the Allegheny College softball record books late Friday afternoon, tying a school-record with a pair of home runs in the nightcap of a doubleheader with visiting North Coast Athletic Conference opponent College of Wooster. The Gators easily won both ends, taking the opener 9-1 in five innings before wrapping up the day with an 11-5 win in game two.

Ryan is just one of a handful of Allegheny players to connect on a pair of home runs in a single game, and she is the first to do it since All-American Jennifer Lorenzen accomplished the feat against Ohio Wesleyan University in 2000. It was part of a perfect day for the Gator sophomore as she finished a combined 6-for-6 in the doubleheader with five runs scored and four RBI.

In the first game, Wooster (8-16, 1-3 NCAC) knotted the game at one run apiece as Molly Gaffney tripled home the equalizer in the top of the third inning. That helped awaken the sleeping giant that turned into the Allegheny (9-11, 4-0 NCAC) offense, as the hosts picked up a pair of runs in the bottom of the third on a two-run double by Ryan, before tallying five more in the fourth inning, highlighted by two-run singles by Rebecca Burns (St. Rogersville, Pa./West Greene) and Katie Wills (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour).

Abby Bodenlos (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy), pictured above, plated the Gators’ final run in the fifth, bringing home sister Maggie Bodenlos (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy), to end the game.

Alicia Morley (Sinclairville, N.Y./Cassadaga Valley), left, picked up the win in game one, allowing just three hits, walking one, and striking out one, while five different players tallied at least two hits for Allegheny, including Crystal Ptacek (Allison Park, Pa./North Allegheny) and Emmalynn Sigrist (Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North) who were 2-for-3 and 2-for-2, respectively. Wills led the way with three RBI.

Wooster bounced back in the nightcap, grabbing a 1-0 lead on a solo home run by Priscilla Staples in the first. They held the lead until the bottom of the second when six Allegheny players crossed home plate, including two on a triple to right-center by Abby Bodenlos.

The Fighting Scots recovered to score a pair of runs in the third inning before Ryan cracked her first home run of the day to straightaway centerfield. Wooster added two more runs in the fourth off of Allison Korotkin (Birmingham, Mich./Detroit Country Day), however, cutting the margin to 7-5 with runners on second and third and one out. The Gators stopped the Scot surge with a pitching change as Morley, who started the game initially, returned and got two easy grounders back to the mound.

Ryan, shown at the right, bashed her second homer of the game in the fifth, hitting a high and outside pitch that would have likely been ball four over the right-centerfield fence to give Allegheny a three-run margin. The Gators tacked on three more runs in the sixth, including a leadoff home run to left by Allison Burr (Farmdale, Ohio/Badger), to secure the win.

Morley ended up picking up the win in the second game as well, evening her season record at 7-7. She tossed 4.2 innings in game two, allowing three hits, walking one, and striking out four.

Despite Ryan’s show-stealing home runs, Abby Bodenlos was no less impressive as she swiped her 23rd base of the season in the sixth inning of game two, shattering the conference record she shared with Carli Wittman of Ohio Wesleyan. Overall, the Gator junior finished a combined 3-for-7 at the plate, with four runs scored and three RBI.

All nine batters notched a hit in the nightcap, led by Ryan’s three and Ptacek’s pair. Ryan, Wills, Ptacek, and Abby Bodenlos all drove in a pair of runs, while Ryan and Bodenlos combined to cross home plate five times.

Allegheny turns right back around tomorrow (April 14) to host Kenyon College at 1:30 p.m. at Robertson Field.

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